Obstacle sensing apparatus for vehicles
First Claim
1. A vehicle obstacle sensing apparatus comprising:
- (a) deduced traveling-passage prediction means for predicting a deduced traveling-passage on which a vehicle will travel, based on a steering angle, a yaw rate and a velocity of the vehicle;
(b) current traveling-passage detection means for detecting a current traveling-passage on which the vehicle is currently moving;
(c) obstacle sensing means for sensing at least one obstacle within a predetermined area; and
(d) danger level judgment means for judging a danger level of an obstacle sensed by said obstacle sensing means, in accordance with an area within which said obstacle is sensed, and one of the deduced traveling-passage predicted by said deduced traveling-passage prediction means and the current traveling-passage detected by said current traveling-passage detection means.
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Abstract
An obstacle sensing apparatus for vehicles which enables efficient obstacle sensing and improves sensing precision. The apparatus comprises a section for predicting a deduced traveling-passage on which the vehicle will travel, based on a steering angle, a yaw rate and a velocity of the vehicle, a section having a CCD camera, for detecting a current traveling-passage on which the vehicle is currently moving, a scanning-type radar unit for sensing obstacles within a predetermined area, and a danger level judging section for judging danger levels of the sensed obstacles, based on the deduced traveling-passage and the current traveling-passage. The danger level judging section sets the danger level of the obstacle sensed within an area, where the deduced traveling-passage and the current traveling-passage overlap with each other, to the highest danger level; the obstacle sensed in an area within the current traveling-passage and without the deduced traveling-passage, to an intermediate danger level; the obstacle sensed in an area within the deduced traveling-passage and without the current traveling-passage, to a lower danger level; and the obstacle sensed in an area without the current and deduced traveling-passages, to the lowest danger level.
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Citations
56 Claims
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1. A vehicle obstacle sensing apparatus comprising:
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(a) deduced traveling-passage prediction means for predicting a deduced traveling-passage on which a vehicle will travel, based on a steering angle, a yaw rate and a velocity of the vehicle; (b) current traveling-passage detection means for detecting a current traveling-passage on which the vehicle is currently moving; (c) obstacle sensing means for sensing at least one obstacle within a predetermined area; and (d) danger level judgment means for judging a danger level of an obstacle sensed by said obstacle sensing means, in accordance with an area within which said obstacle is sensed, and one of the deduced traveling-passage predicted by said deduced traveling-passage prediction means and the current traveling-passage detected by said current traveling-passage detection means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 56)
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15. A vehicle obstacle sensing apparatus comprising:
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(a) current traveling-passage detection means for detecting a current traveling-passage on which the vehicle is currently running; (b) obstacle sensing means for sensing a plurality of obstacles within a predetermined area; (c) road curvature change detection means for detecting, in advance, a curvature change of the current traveling-passage; and (d) danger level judgment means for judging a danger level of an obstacle sensed by said obstacle sensing means, in accordance with the curvature change detected by said road curvature change detection means and an area where said obstacle is sensed within the current traveling-passage detected by said current traveling-passage detection means. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A vehicle obstacle sensing apparatus comprising:
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(a) deduced traveling-passage prediction means for predicting a deduced traveling-passage on which a vehicle will travel, based on a steering angle, a yaw rate and a velocity of the vehicle; (b) current traveling-passage detection means for detecting a current traveling-passage on which the vehicle is currently running; (c) obstacle sensing means for sensing at least one obstacle within a predetermined area; (d) deduced traveling-passage correction means for defining an obstacle judgment area for judging a danger level of an obstacle based on the deduced traveling-passage predicted by said deduced traveling-passage prediction means and the current traveling-passage detected by said current traveling-passage detection means; and (e) danger level judgment means for judging the danger level of an obstacle sensed by said obstacle sensing means, in accordance with an area where said obstacle is sensed within the obstacle judgment area defined by said deduced traveling-passage correction means. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A vehicle obstacle sensing apparatus comprising:
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(a) deduced traveling-passage prediction means for predicting a deduced traveling-passage on which a vehicle will travel, based on a steering angle, a yaw rate and a velocity of the vehicle; (b) current traveling-passage detection means for detecting a current traveling-passage on which the vehicle is currently running; (c) obstacle sensing means for sensing at least one obstacle within a predetermined area; (e) danger level judgment means for judging a danger level of an obstacle sensed by said obstacle sensing means, based on the prediction precision and the detection precision judged by said precision judgment means. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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Specification